The physical position of the body during meditation is very important and essential to the success of a long-term meditation practice. For those who cannot sustain a seated cross-legged position on a cushion; a chair or low bench (seiza) are useful alternatives. The proper flow of Chi (C) Ki (J) is essential and dependant on the position and orientation of the back. Wear loose fitting clothing with the legs covered.

Once seated it is useful to rock back and forth and side-to-side to bring the body into alignment. At the start of meditation it will also be helpful to take several deep breathes to settle the mind.

Both knees should be resting on the floor or mat while the meditator is seated on a cushion. This three-pointed position provides a very stable platform. Put your right foot on your left thigh and then your left foot on your right thigh. If this it is not possible to get both feet on the thighs (full lotus) then put the left foot on the right thigh and rest the right foot on the mat (half lotus).

If it is not possible to put the feet on the thighs then the legs can be folded one in front of the other with the bottom of one foot touching the inside of the opposite thigh (Burmese style). The hips should be pushed forward and the back should be straight and vertical. Keeping the back vertical is essential as the head has considerable weight and if the meditator is leaning to the side or front or back he will develop a strain in the back. One way to think of this is as if balancing a ball (the head) on top of a pole (the spine). The chin should be slightly tucked in, extend your neck as though trying to reach the ceiling with the top of your head. The ears should be in line with the shoulders and the nose in line with the naval.

The hands rest in your lap with the left hand resting in the palm of the right. The thumbs should be lightly touching. The tongue should be just touching the back of the front teeth. The eyes should be just slightly open and directed to a spot 3 to 5 ft in front of you. They should not be focused on any single spot. They should never be closed as this will cause sleepiness or encourage visions. Further if the eyes are open then you will be able to see if your body has shifted position. 

The chair should not have any armrests. The meditator should sit on the forward part of the seat so that the backrest of the chair is not utilized. The position of the hands is the same as in the meditation cushion description. The seat should be high enough to allow the legs to hang straight down with the feet flat on the floor

This is a bench that is only 6 or 8 inches high. The legs are folded under it with the knees on the floor. This provides the same stable three-pointed position as when seated on a meditation cushion.

A single bell indicates the end of the meditation period. Please bow to the place of meditation and then turning 180 degrees bow once again.

In meditation deep abdominal breathing is important. The exhalation should be a long breath -you should feel the diaphragm moving downward. The inhalations will be shorter. This is the same type of breathing found in Tai Chi or the martial arts. We should breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Deep abdominal breathing, instead of the usual shallow chest breathing, naturally stabilizes the body and calms the mind. Medical science has also shown that this type of breathing regulates physical health as well. Recent research has shown during deep breathing, neurological materials that stabilize the nerves are secreted in abundance. During shallow breathing secretions are reduced, raising levels of aggressive behavior.

The ultimate objective in this meditation is to achieve a highly focused mind free from all thoughts. Many of us experience the “monkey mind” which is constantly jumping from one thing to another. In order to subdue this monkey mind there are several techniques that we may use.

The first is to count breathes. You can count both the in and out breaths or one or the other. It is just a matter of what works best for you. You should count no higher that 10 and then start over.

The second technique is to fix your attention solely on the in and out breaths. Breathe in long and out long for a couple of times, focusing on any spot in the body where the breathing is easy to notice, and your mind feels comfortable focusing. This could be at the nose, at the chest, at the abdomen, or any spot at all. Stay with that spot, noticing how it feels as you breathe in and out. Breathe normally and do not try to control the breath other than to be sure you are using deep abdominal breathing.

Don't get discouraged. If the mind wanders 100 times, bring it back 100 times. With time the mind will become more settled and focused. Thoughts will come – just let them go to not indulge them. Eventually your mind will listen to you!

"Samadhi is like pure, clean water, for it can wash away all defilements." -from the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom.